October 10, 2017: AGRA, INDIA \u2013 Janice Farnham, RJM [USA Province]<\/em><\/p>\n At the end of these wondrous days of celebration, when we have heard and seen so much, as our senses have been bombarded with the sights, sounds, scents, tastes, and FEEL of India\u2019s complex gifts, let me begin by inviting us all to take a few moments of silence with this question: \u201cWhat is it from this time together I want to hold and carry back with me\u201d? [Time of silence]<\/p>\n Before I begin my reflection, I want to recall with a grateful heart the invitation so many of you have extended to me over the years \u2013 tertians especially, with whom I was privileged to teach and learn in Rome. \u201cCome to India,\u201d you said. How I longed to make this \u201cdream journey,\u201d which in God\u2019s good time has come to pass. For this, I give thanks to the Lord, to our first Agra missionary mothers, and to Sr. Monica and our General Council for making it all possible. I carry in my heart an experience of India and this conference as a vital link between our Congregation\u2019s past and its future. I have seen and heard that Claudine\u2019s charism is ALIVE and well here, in each one of you, and in all that has been shared this week.<\/p>\n I also want to remind us of the historic nature of this conference. For the first time in the long life of the Religious of Jesus and Mary, we have had an international meeting outside of Europe. I hope that as Agra in 1842 brought a new beginning to the Congregation struggling in its early years, this Agra meeting in 2017 will mark a turning point for what is to come in the future. This week has revealed our desire that the grace that fired our beginnings will continue to well up within us all and give us the courage to move boldly into that future as Claudine and our foremothers did.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat we have seen and heard, tasted and touched,\u201d the First Letter of John tells us, \u201cwe want to share with you, that your joy may be complete\u201d [1Jn.1]. There has been an abundant outpouring of words, images, feelings to share as we rediscovered the mission story of our regions and provinces, as we remembered our graced history with wonder. In these \u201clast words\u201d I was asked to offer, Monica suggested that I \u201cgather the fragments\u201d of our experience and invite us to journey in hope towards the future. As a framework for my reflection, then, I offer the wonderful words of Pope Francis in his letter to Consecrated Persons [2015]: \u201clook to the past with gratitude, live the present with passion, embrace the future with hope.\u201d<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n Looking to the Past with Gratitude<\/strong> We looked to our missionary past with gratitude as we focused on our varied foundations and beginnings on five continents and heard again the stories of heroic women facing the challenges of the unknown, of their journeys into unfamiliar lands, peoples and cultures. The missionary pilgrimages of our founding sisters were diverse, yet they revealed the same faith, zeal, creativity, tenacity, persistence and patience in the face of great risks. Above all, those women never wavered in their conviction that God was with them as they faced, like the Apostle Paul, tribulations of every kind. No matter where they were sent, the dangers and obstacles they encountered were much the same: illness, new languages and cultural differences, isolation, suspicion or rejection. Sometimes on their arrival, the residences they were promised were not ready, or not really there! Death was a dark reality that struck regularly, at times in violent ways. But as one sister said, \u201cThey never gave up, and never gave in.\u201d They prayed, they stayed and they gave all they had to carry Claudine\u2019s dream to \u201cthe least, the most forsaken, the most miserable\u201d of God\u2019s people. And here we are, the living fruit of their faithful response!<\/p>\n Here are some common elements that unfolded for me as we watched and listened to the RJM mission as it unfolded:<\/p>\n Truly, the story of each province, each foundation shows that what was begun in poverty, weakness, deprivation and exile revealed a remarkable strength of purpose and trust in the good God. These women learned the truth of Paul\u2019s missionary claim: \u201cI can do all things in him who strengthens me\u201d [Phil. 4:13]. Like Mary, they believed that nothing was impossible for God!<\/p>\n Living the Present with Passion<\/strong> Embracing the Future with Hope<\/strong> The familiar passage attributed to Blessed Oscar Romero reminds us that our share in God\u2019s mission is to plant seeds, knowing that they hold future promise. \u201cWe may never see the end results, but that is the difference between the master builder and the worker. We are workers, not master builders; ministers, not messiahs. We are prophets of a future not our own.\u201d And that is a wonderful thing!<\/p>\n I was asked to give \u201clast words,\u201d but we need to remember that each one of us, and all of our sisters at home, are the true \u201clast words\u201d of Claudine. She did not leave us with many of her words or writings. What Claudine left is US, you and me, and all those who have gone before us and will come after us. Whatever our future, I invite us to imagine her message to us as we bring this conference to a close. Perhaps we can hear her saying something like this as we join her on this bicentenary journey to a new recognition of our call to prophetic hope like hers:<\/p>\n You are not sure about your future. Neither was I. Move into your future and mine, with hope and trust, because it IS God\u2019s future, and trust that God is faithful, God is good, God will provide.<\/p>\n Janice Farnham, RJM Al final de estos maravillosos d\u00edas de celebraci\u00f3n, cuando hemos escuchado y visto tanto, mientras nuestros sentidos han sido bombardeados con las vistas, sonidos, olores, sabores y SENTIMIENTOS de los complejos regalos de la India, perm\u00edtanme comenzar invit\u00e1ndonos a todos a tomar unos minutos de silencio con esta pregunta: "\u00bfQu\u00e9 es lo que quiero conservar y llevar conmigo de este tiempo juntos"?<\/p>","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":388,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_kad_blocks_custom_css":"","_kad_blocks_head_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_body_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_footer_custom_js":"","_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[61],"our_priorities":[],"section":[],"class_list":["post-389","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-newsletter","tag-bicentenary"],"acf":[],"taxonomy_info":{"category":[{"value":1,"label":"Bridges"}],"post_tag":[{"value":61,"label":"Bicentenary"}]},"featured_image_src_large":["https:\/\/rjmusa.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/Bridges-102017d.jpg",340,190,false],"author_info":{"display_name":"root","author_link":"https:\/\/rjmusa.org\/es\/author\/root\/"},"comment_info":0,"category_info":[{"term_id":1,"name":"Bridges","slug":"newsletter","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":1,"taxonomy":"category","description":"","parent":0,"count":442,"filter":"raw","cat_ID":1,"category_count":442,"category_description":"","cat_name":"Bridges","category_nicename":"newsletter","category_parent":0}],"tag_info":[{"term_id":61,"name":"Bicentenary","slug":"bicentenary","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":61,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":12,"filter":"raw"}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/rjmusa.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/389","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/rjmusa.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/rjmusa.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rjmusa.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rjmusa.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=389"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/rjmusa.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/389\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rjmusa.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/388"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/rjmusa.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=389"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rjmusa.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=389"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rjmusa.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=389"},{"taxonomy":"our_priorities","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rjmusa.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/our_priorities?post=389"},{"taxonomy":"section","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rjmusa.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/section?post=389"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\nThe week began with Sr. Junkal\u2019s conference, linking our expression of \u201cmission\u201d in the past with what we have come to understand in the light of Vatican II. Her presentation gave us a contemporary theological expression of \u201cmission\u201d as an essential element of Christian life, of apostolic religious life. It reminded us that our call to discipleship is primarily God\u2019s mission, initiated by God and fulfilled in the unfolding of salvation history. She pointed out to us that our past understanding of \u201cmission\u201d has evolved from a physical movement toward foreign lands and cultures in the name of Christ\u2019s church, \u201cad gentes,\u201d to a sense that each Christian is SENT in the name of Jesus, the Beloved One sent by the Father to reveal the Good News of God\u2019s love to all and for all. In a real sense, \u201cmission\u201d refers to WHO we ARE rather than WHAT we DO. In the past, \u201cgoing to the missions,\u201d meant leaving behind home, family and all that was familiar to foreign lands and cultures where the task was to convert or Christianize those on the margins of salvation: pagans, non-Christians, unbelievers. Today, we understand being sent in a much larger sense and realize the \u201cperipheries\u201d may be within our own cultures, close to home, even within our own communities. Junkal\u2019s presentation invited us to consider anew what it means to be missioned, to be sent, and to question what new calls, what deep changes, may be challenging us to leave behind the safety of our comfort zones and journey to new margins for our own time, other \u201cforeign lands.\u201d<\/p>\n\n
\nEspecially in our group sharing, we saw how much passion and commitment these stories called forth from us, as we questioned ourselves on our present ways of living out the mission entrusted to us. We felt admiration and wonder at what God was able to do in and through these pioneers of our provinces. And we also asked questions that surfaced as we considered the situations in which we find our Congregation here and now. I will point out just three major concerns that appeared in the reports we heard from the groups:<\/p>\n\n
\n\tIn the light of our present reality \u2013 aging sisters and a diminishing number of candidates \u2013 how can we keep Claudine\u2019s charism alive? How can we help it to grow in new, untried ways?<\/li>\n
\n\tThis calls for the grace to take a hard look at where we are, at our settled, successful and comfortable ways, so we can \u201clet go\u201d and move to new areas of need, to those margins and peripheries where the Lord may be calling. What in us, in our structures, needs to change for this to happen? In our different situations, what choices are before us? What do we need to help us grow in freedom and flexibility?<\/li>\n
\n\tJust as we have learned from our missionary stories of the interdependence that was essential at the origins of each province, so now we need to be creative in engaging others to be our partners in mission<\/strong> for a global community: lay faculties and leaders, indigenous persons, the Family of Jesus and Mary, international volunteers and so many others. How can we extend and multiply our apostolic service, those gifts passed on to us as a legacy? We cannot afford today to be independent laborers in the vineyard. Jesus shared his mission with his friends and apostles; so must we \u201cgo and do likewise.\u201d It helps to recall that Claudine never did any of her charitable work alone. One early account tells that \u201cwhen she was out with some of her friends\u201d and came upon those whose misery called forth her compassion, together<\/strong> they discerned how they could alleviate the greatest of misfortunes: to live and die without knowing a good God. The seeds of the Pious Association were sown in companionship that became a community of friends. The familiar preamble to their Rule states: \u201cWhen one goes alone on a long and difficult journey, one finds only ordinary and commonplace means of encouragement. But when several journey together, they are filled with confidence, fresh courage, and mutual support.\u201d In 1821, once the congregation was underway at Fourvi\u00e8re, Father Coindre suggested that new bonds of union be formed between the association and the sisters at the Angelique. The associates would help sustain the providence by sponsoring children or assisting in other ways, and they would share in the prayers and good work of the community. Meetings from then on were held at Fourvi\u00e8re, allowing both groups to secure their shared mission to the children they served: a community of friends in Jesus and Mary. As the foundation of our sisters in Spain reminds us: Juntos Mejor!<\/em> Better together! How are we called today to enlarge our circles of mission and deepen our bonds of union with others?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
\nWe have come together to begin celebrating 200 years of life and apostolic service as Religious of Jesus and Mary. While this is indeed cause for grateful joy, it also reminds us that the congregation is no longer young, vibrant with newness. Sociologists have discovered that the ordinary life-span of a religious congregation like ours is about 200 years. Unless an individual or a group is inspired to recapture the original fire of the foundation and the dream of its founders, the institute slowly dies. This year, then, marks a turning point for our congregation, our provinces, every one of our communities and sisters. I said earlier that the Agra conference is a historic moment, but it is also a critical moment. This time in our shared history calls us to reclaim the courage and faith of Claudine as she faced an unknown future. I asked one of you yesterday what you thought was the future of the Congregation and your answer was, \u201cI really don\u2019t know.\u201d Sisters, we don\u2019t know what the future holds for us, any more than Claudine and her companions did, or those missionaries who ventured into our lands years ago. Their challenge was to trust in the good God who led them, to embrace the future with prophetic hope as did Abraham and Sarah, Mary and Elizabeth, Simeon and Anna, God\u2019s poor ones, who \u201choped against hope\u201d and believed that the promises of God would be fulfilled. Prophetic hope, in the words of Sr. Constance Fitzgerald, OCD, requires \u201cembarking on a pilgrimage toward the coming of the impossible.\u201d This is a hope rooted in darkness. It calls us to surrender our false hopes and \u201cyield unconditionally to God\u2019s future. It is a hope that exists without the signature of our life and works.\u201d It hollows out in our hearts a place for God\u2019s future, the coming of the impossible. \u201cNothing is impossible for God.\u201d This was the hope of Claudine, of our foremothers, and it can be ours as well.<\/p>\n\n
\nAgra Conference, CJM Agra
\n10 October, 2017<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"